Press Releases

SPRINGFIELD – The Senate Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention held its first meeting yesterday in Chicago. The task force was created by Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), who also serves as a co-chair.

“For far too long, victims of sexual harassment and discrimination have been ignored and intimidated by a system that has allowed perpetrators to go unchecked,” Bush said. “This task force intends to rectify that.”

The task force was created in response to the recent wave of harassment allegations in Illinois and throughout the country. The group will conduct a comprehensive review of the legal and social consequences of sexual harassment and discrimination, and will make recommendations on how to combat them in Illinois.

“There is a reckoning taking place across the country,” Bush said. “It has become clear that the current process has failed victims. We need to make changes to provide a timely and fair process that ensures claims are investigated and justice is served.”

The first meeting included presentations from experts on the current protocol for reporting sexual discrimination and harassment and the options victims have for seeking justice. The task force will meet monthly during the next year and will submit recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31, 2018.